Mata, E. Q. (1952). An analysis of the fold dances of...
Mata, E. Q. (1952). An analysis of the fold dances of the Mountain Province and
the possibility of their inclusion in the physical education program.
(Unpublished master’s thesis). Baguio City: Baguio Colleges Foundation.
Physical location: University of the Cordilleras Library, Baguio City
ABSTRACT
Trends in Education
The most outstanding development in physical education during the past
dew decades centers attention on the effect of physical activities in the entire
personality of the child rather than solely on the muscular development of all
bodily functions.
At the beginning of the twentieth century the so-called “physical training”
limited its objectives’ to the development of strength, neuromuscular
coordination, posture, and physical endurance. The present day program gives
special emphasis in the re-creative interests and skills, and to social values. It
has drastic and major changes in the educational theory. One of these changes
emphasized the fact that the education geared to the child’ interests and needs,
rather than be based merely upon a body of instructional material accumulated
by adults year after year. Dominating all theories is the belief that the function of
the school is socialization, as well as intellectualization. Basic to this changed
philosophy are the concepts that physical education us a phase education rather
than merely a period for exercise, and that physical education accomplishes
many of the objectives of education.
Physical education is not primarily concerned with the correction of
inherent weaknesses that are supposed to exist, nor to fashion every individual
child into a precise example of a particular pattern but to provide the child with
the best opportunities for the development of his powers and capacities. Since
those are many and varied, the teacher should seek to favor the development of
those that are socially useful and desirable, and to eliminate those that would
impair the child in anyway. At present leisure hours of men are spent by drinking,
gambling, and sex affairs instead of spending their time in wholesome leisure
such as dancing, handicraft, poetry, music, sports, and other activities for the
development of social and aesthetic values.
Nothing will survive in any human society, unless it has a functional value.
Within the individual, there is a conflict of desires. On the one hand there is the
desire to be outstanding; on the other hand, the longing for a sense of group
camaraderie, to both these desires, dancing provides recompense. Therefore,
because dancing is emotionally gratifying, it survives in the savage and civilized
world when beliefs in its superstitious or magical efficacy have passed away.
To emphasize the value of dancing in the educational program, it is
necessary to quote here what outstanding physical educators say about dancing:
Jessie Faring Williams said, “Dancing is the art side of Physical education” ;
Frederick Peterson said, “Dancing seems to fulfill every requisite of an ideal
exercise – the practical use of all the muscles, the acme of pleasurable emotions,
and the satisfaction of the aesthetic sense” Mrs. F. R. Aquino said, “Dances
should be taught because of their recreational, physiological, and educational
values. Through them one becomes more acquainted with the culture, character,
and temperament of the people the world over”. Dr William said, Dancing affords
plenty of activities for the large muscles and stimulates the circulatory and
respiratory system; it tones the nervous system through the relaxation it affords.
When the body acts as a rhythmic whole, effective action takes place with the
least expenditure of energy. The power to relax and the rhythmic coordination
carry with them a means of improving posture. The improvement of posture is
closely related to the technique is the development of an expressive body,
flexible and well coordinated. It develops group consciousness; it stimulates the
emotions and arouses the feeling of sympathy and unity of purpose. It helps the
individual to gain the power of physical expression and gives mental freedom and
poise. It trains him in the appreciation of other arts as beauty in line, color, music
and movement.
Folk dancing is now given emphasis in the program of physical education
in the Philippine Educational System. However these dances are either the ones
found among Christian Filipinos or they belong to foreign people. Dances of the
Moros of Sulu and the Tingians of Abra are incorporated in fold dance books
collected by our foremost authority in Philippine dances, Mrs. Francisca Reyes-
Aquino, Supervisor of Physical Education, Department of Education. She has
spent most of her life in the collection of such dances.
Educational value of the folk dances of the Mountain Province
1. They aid in the preservation for posterity, folk dances that are purely
Filipino.
2. They aid in the development of patriotism and national solidarity through
the study of the typical Filipino dances.
3. They help in the development of greater appreciation of the dances and
songs that ate truly our own.
4. They show the development of Filipino culture through the evolution of
Filipino dances.
5. They develop an understanding and appreciation of the costumes of the
early Filipinos.
Recommendations
In as much as we are concerned with the education of our brothers and
sisters who are natives of the Mountain Province, we should consider the
inclusion of their dances in our program of physical education. Modern education
means that the schools should coordinate with the community to enrich their
curriculum. They should give emphasis on the objectives based upon the pupil’
needs.
After a thorough analysis of these dances, the writer recommends their
inclusion in the physical education program of our schools, especially in the
Mountain Province, for their grace and for their cultural as well as social values.
Suggested adaptations:
Some of these dances may be incorporated in the folk dancing course and
be taken up as some of the typical Filipino dances. However, the writer suggests
the following adaptations.
First – That tunes could be fitted into the rhythm to make the dances more
interesting. In other words, we do not have to present these dances in the raw
but we may adopt them with modifications without necessarily destroying their
educational and cultural values.
Second – That when the dances are performed in the lowlands, pants
should be used instead of the G-string. This may not alter the effectiveness and
the artistic rendition of the dances.
If art is considered a gauge of a peoples’ philosophy of life, then there is
perhaps no better medium than the art of dancing. The costumes, expressions,
steps, positions, and movement, and the reason for which they are performed –
all these reflect the people’ way of life. Let us be proud of and keep for posterity,
the culture of our people.
the possibility of their inclusion in the physical education program.
(Unpublished master’s thesis). Baguio City: Baguio Colleges Foundation.
Physical location: University of the Cordilleras Library, Baguio City
ABSTRACT
Trends in Education
The most outstanding development in physical education during the past
dew decades centers attention on the effect of physical activities in the entire
personality of the child rather than solely on the muscular development of all
bodily functions.
At the beginning of the twentieth century the so-called “physical training”
limited its objectives’ to the development of strength, neuromuscular
coordination, posture, and physical endurance. The present day program gives
special emphasis in the re-creative interests and skills, and to social values. It
has drastic and major changes in the educational theory. One of these changes
emphasized the fact that the education geared to the child’ interests and needs,
rather than be based merely upon a body of instructional material accumulated
by adults year after year. Dominating all theories is the belief that the function of
the school is socialization, as well as intellectualization. Basic to this changed
philosophy are the concepts that physical education us a phase education rather
than merely a period for exercise, and that physical education accomplishes
many of the objectives of education.
Physical education is not primarily concerned with the correction of
inherent weaknesses that are supposed to exist, nor to fashion every individual
child into a precise example of a particular pattern but to provide the child with
the best opportunities for the development of his powers and capacities. Since
those are many and varied, the teacher should seek to favor the development of
those that are socially useful and desirable, and to eliminate those that would
impair the child in anyway. At present leisure hours of men are spent by drinking,
gambling, and sex affairs instead of spending their time in wholesome leisure
such as dancing, handicraft, poetry, music, sports, and other activities for the
development of social and aesthetic values.
Nothing will survive in any human society, unless it has a functional value.
Within the individual, there is a conflict of desires. On the one hand there is the
desire to be outstanding; on the other hand, the longing for a sense of group
camaraderie, to both these desires, dancing provides recompense. Therefore,
because dancing is emotionally gratifying, it survives in the savage and civilized
world when beliefs in its superstitious or magical efficacy have passed away.
To emphasize the value of dancing in the educational program, it is
necessary to quote here what outstanding physical educators say about dancing:
Jessie Faring Williams said, “Dancing is the art side of Physical education” ;
Frederick Peterson said, “Dancing seems to fulfill every requisite of an ideal
exercise – the practical use of all the muscles, the acme of pleasurable emotions,
and the satisfaction of the aesthetic sense” Mrs. F. R. Aquino said, “Dances
should be taught because of their recreational, physiological, and educational
values. Through them one becomes more acquainted with the culture, character,
and temperament of the people the world over”. Dr William said, Dancing affords
plenty of activities for the large muscles and stimulates the circulatory and
respiratory system; it tones the nervous system through the relaxation it affords.
When the body acts as a rhythmic whole, effective action takes place with the
least expenditure of energy. The power to relax and the rhythmic coordination
carry with them a means of improving posture. The improvement of posture is
closely related to the technique is the development of an expressive body,
flexible and well coordinated. It develops group consciousness; it stimulates the
emotions and arouses the feeling of sympathy and unity of purpose. It helps the
individual to gain the power of physical expression and gives mental freedom and
poise. It trains him in the appreciation of other arts as beauty in line, color, music
and movement.
Folk dancing is now given emphasis in the program of physical education
in the Philippine Educational System. However these dances are either the ones
found among Christian Filipinos or they belong to foreign people. Dances of the
Moros of Sulu and the Tingians of Abra are incorporated in fold dance books
collected by our foremost authority in Philippine dances, Mrs. Francisca Reyes-
Aquino, Supervisor of Physical Education, Department of Education. She has
spent most of her life in the collection of such dances.
Educational value of the folk dances of the Mountain Province
1. They aid in the preservation for posterity, folk dances that are purely
Filipino.
2. They aid in the development of patriotism and national solidarity through
the study of the typical Filipino dances.
3. They help in the development of greater appreciation of the dances and
songs that ate truly our own.
4. They show the development of Filipino culture through the evolution of
Filipino dances.
5. They develop an understanding and appreciation of the costumes of the
early Filipinos.
Recommendations
In as much as we are concerned with the education of our brothers and
sisters who are natives of the Mountain Province, we should consider the
inclusion of their dances in our program of physical education. Modern education
means that the schools should coordinate with the community to enrich their
curriculum. They should give emphasis on the objectives based upon the pupil’
needs.
After a thorough analysis of these dances, the writer recommends their
inclusion in the physical education program of our schools, especially in the
Mountain Province, for their grace and for their cultural as well as social values.
Suggested adaptations:
Some of these dances may be incorporated in the folk dancing course and
be taken up as some of the typical Filipino dances. However, the writer suggests
the following adaptations.
First – That tunes could be fitted into the rhythm to make the dances more
interesting. In other words, we do not have to present these dances in the raw
but we may adopt them with modifications without necessarily destroying their
educational and cultural values.
Second – That when the dances are performed in the lowlands, pants
should be used instead of the G-string. This may not alter the effectiveness and
the artistic rendition of the dances.
If art is considered a gauge of a peoples’ philosophy of life, then there is
perhaps no better medium than the art of dancing. The costumes, expressions,
steps, positions, and movement, and the reason for which they are performed –
all these reflect the people’ way of life. Let us be proud of and keep for posterity,
the culture of our people.